Question

The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 has increased the number of recognized disabilities from:

• A. 7 to 21
• B. 5 to 10
• C. 10 to 15
• D. 12 to 16

Hint:

The RPWD Act, 2016 also increased reservation in government jobs for persons with benchmark disabilities from 3% to 4%.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept:

• The RPWD Act, 2016 replaced the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.
• It shifted the focus from a medical model of disability to a human-rights-based model.
• The Act significantly expanded the scope of eligibility for government schemes and reservations.

Step 1: Recall the provisions of the 1995 Act
The original 1995 Act recognized only 7 categories of disabilities: Blindness, Low vision, Leprosy-cured, Hearing impairment, Locomotor disability, Mental retardation, and Mental illness.

Step 2: Analyze the 2016 Amendment changes
The 2016 Act expanded this list to 21 categories. New additions included cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, acid attack victims, hard of hearing, speech and language disability, specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, chronic neurological conditions (like Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's), and blood disorders (Thalassemia, Hemophilia, Sickle Cell Disease).

Step 3: Verify the counts
The transition was specifically from 7 (old act) to 21 (new act). This corresponds to option (A).